


The Hope of END

by l3_SongbirdGarden_l3



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Additional Warnings Apply, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Darker Natsu Dragneel, Different backstories for some, Dragneel Family feels, End!Natsu, Eventual OP!Natsu, F/M, Fairy Tail Zero, Fairy Tail: When We Take Different Paths, Female Natsu Dragneel, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Possessive Natsu Dragneel, Protective Natsu Dragneel, but not really, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-02 09:21:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16302470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/l3_SongbirdGarden_l3/pseuds/l3_SongbirdGarden_l3
Summary: One moment can change everything. Lullaby awakens and in the midst of battle a power is unleashed; E.N.D. has returned after over 400 years, revealing a tragic blood-stained past to Natsumi and a startling revelation regarding a certain ice mage. Will Natsumi be able to overcome the trials of her past, or will she fall back into the same darkness?





	The Hope of END

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted on FF.net!
> 
> Natsu is a girl in this, named Natsumi.

The fire dragon slayer Natsumi Dragneel, daughter of the King of the Fire Dragons: Igneel, would sometimes tell herself in the midst of the guild hall, under a hot, lingering sun, with the young man shirtless and sweaty, and her eyes sore and face flushed, that there was nothing special about Gray.

She'd be lying.

In the days since she'd first met the stripping Ice wizard, there had been something about him that had crept, creeped and crawled into the back of her mind as a nagging sensation. Despite her trying, he'd always managed to catch her attention, and it wasn't just his unusual habit of taking his clothes off for no reason; even in the days they'd fight, bicker and work together, that same strange, slithering feeling would come into her mind, whispering to her with words she couldn't comprehend or understand.

So, she said to herself, over and over again as reassurance:

_He was her friend._

_He was her comrade._

_He was her Nakama._

Yet no matter how much she'd tell herself this, all she could do was just cover up as best she could the feelings that would arise from her whenever he was near – that same feeling that would still her heart when she would find herself staring at the stripping wizard, lost in thought and in mind.

She held a breath.

The long, lumber like body of Lullaby spun in mid-air, its large form moving far too fast for its size—too fast, intent to crack and lumber against the ice shield Grey erected to protect the guild masters and Lucy.

For a moment she found herself wanting to rip Gray apart for throwing away his life so easily—but it figured he'd protect others over himself, even if he didn't care for them…and there was Lucy and Gramps too, his Nakama. He cared for them. She couldn't hate him for that.

He was a hero.

He was  _her_  hero.

Yet he was about to die, and no one – not Lucy, not Gramps, not Erza, could get there in time.

"GRAY!" she screeched - feet locked in place, legs stiff and heavy—impossibly heavy – as Gray's barriers were wilted down in seconds. Why couldn't she move? Her fists craved to carve in the damn bastard's lumber face, but she found herself frozen in a stupor, an unsettling feeling wrenching her heart and body. Telling her of how she had failed him – failed everyone, and there was nothing she could do.

Flashes passed by her gaze, Gray stumbling back with arms held up in his face, shouting to Lucy to escape while he gave her as much time as he could, despite the blonde's protesting she froze, probably taken by the sheer fear and the realization that they were all going to die.

She had to do something - Natusmi glared at her legs, slapped them, then slapped her face – even the guild masters had deserted Gray, fleeing the battlefield as the ice-mage risked his very life for theirs. Then she looked up, lost the ability to breathe and gawked.

Lullaby neared him like a glazed statue, ready to swallow what she held dear in one gulp. Gray stepped back, gritting his white as snow teeth.

She froze.

" **Move** ,  **move** ,  **move** ,  **or he'll be gone**."

A whisper, harsh as ash, rougher than wood, stole her ears and thrummed through her body. It was like cracked reeds, soot and smoke, ready to eat all who opposed it. She found herself looking around to see if anyone else heard it – only to come back empty handed.

"Am I going insane?" She murmured – it'd certainly be easier to think that then admit Gray was about to die.

She gripped her head and covered it in her hands. Her attention was split between the powerful voice and Gray, confusion and horror stealing her mind.

_'I don't know what to do…..'_

" **You know what to do**  –  **you've always known, merely forgotten**.  **Speak the words of what you will accomplish**."

Then a switch in her mind flipped and said ' _Oh_ ,  _that's right_ ,' and she realized the truth.

Only she stood between the death of Gray, and nothing could stop her - not Erza, not the guildmaster, and certainly not that feeling of fear trying to wilt her down again, whisper that Lullaby was too powerful, to remind her of what she could lose – that she could fail. Fail as she always had.

She battered it aside—the voice's words have given her permission to unseal the shielding around her furnace heart, and all her fears and doubts shrivel in its flame.

No way was she gonna let that iceblock die! Not at the hands of some lowlife demon trash!

As if on autopilot, subconsciously Natusmi's lips began to move, screaming-almost screeching a tone of voice different from her own, yet she agreed wholeheartedly with it.

" _ **I will not allow him to die**_!" It was an inhuman roar that stole the landscape and turned it to brazen smoke, rocks clattering away in shockwaves of power. Then she began to change: her eyes spat and changed from onyx to a blaze of glittering gold, and her body became faster – faster than she'd ever been.

Lullaby was dead already, he just didn't know it yet.

What happened next spun by in a daze – consumed by the fiery pits of adrenaline she cartwheeled forwards in a sudden dash, with nothing but one thought streaming through her mind, once, twice, thrice.

_Save him. Save him. Save him._

And like a possessed demon, she raised her hand outward, guided by a force unknown. She would end this now. For a funnelling fuel had taken her heart and given her a moment of pure clarity.

And within that clarity she had her answer.

She needed to decide.

So, she decided to win.

"GRAY!" She shouted once more. as she continued forward at this inhuman pace, covering what seemed like meters upon meters of ground in less than a second.

Just when the fist was about to make contact with Gray's body, it was abruptly severed off, a clean, single cut running from the shoulder down. Purple light poured from the new wound, the limb dropping like dead weight with Lullaby now roaring in pure agony.

It was in that moment Gray found himself looking up at his savior, blinking in disbelief, his startled eyes registering it was none other than Natsumi, standing firmly between Gray and the roaring Lullaby. Her back was facing him so he couldn't see her face.

Gray noticed Natsumi was holding something in her hand, recognizing it as a sword. ' _Where did she_...?' The sword looked like a cross between a standard broadsword and a zweihander, the crossguard resembled a mini pair of bat-like wings with the top half of a skull in the center. Both the handle and the handguard were a criss-cross pattern of black and blood-red, with what looked like scales wrapped around the top and bottom. Finally, the pommel at the bottom was shaped like a circle, and inside was an ornate a five-pointed star. Gray saw the blade glow a deep blood red, showing carved on runes that seemed to fade away, a pitch black scabbard wrapped in what seemed to be the same scales as the guard now resting on Natsumi's back with little chains wrapping around it.

"O-oi, Natsumi where did you-" Gray stammered as he looked at his rival, almost afraid of the expression on her face and the sword in her hand, confused beyond belief as to where it came from, but more importantly how she used it so well.

"Get back, Gray." Natsumi all but growled out as she glared holes into the demon, killer intent wafting off her in waves.

Gray watched his longtime friend and rival raise her demonic looking sword up high, dashing off towards Lullaby at a breakneck kind of speed. The demon had long since recovered from her last attack, now glaring down at her tiny form with hate, disgusted that such an insignificant creature was able to mutilate it so.

"Why, youuu...! I'll kill you for that!" Lullaby roared again, hurling its remaining fist directly at Natsumi, intending to completely obliterate the insect before it.

The fist hammered the ground, shaking the nearby mountains a bit, with Natsumi disappearing from sight. Instantly she reappeared on what was now little more than a stump, where Lullaby's other arm was. The dragon slayer ran across his shoulder heading straight for Lullaby's face. All the while gripping the sword with both hands, letting it drag along the skin of the beast's shoulder creating a giant, bleeding crevice, spanning across its whole shoulder making Lullaby howl in excruciating pain.

"Damn human, you cannot defeat me!" It cursed, slamming its remaining hand down on top of Natsumi, uncaring if it happened to injure itself further, just completely determined to irradicate Natsumi from the face of Earthland.

"NO, NATSUMI!" Gray cried out, his knees buckling as he forced himself to lean more on Lucy, seeing what he thought was his longtime friend and guildmate get crushed to death. A mournful silence fell around them, as they all looked to the ground, mourning their fallen friend, comrade, and rival as no sight of her could be seen. Things quickly changed, however, when Lullaby's hand began to crack, fissures of purplish-black energy could be seen seeping just as it was blown to pieces. The confused demon could only screech in more pain, now handless, staggering backward when something caught its eye. Suspended in midair was Natsumi, sword reared back, preparing to deliver the final, definitive strike that would send the demon to eternal damnation.

Time moved slow around them again with Lullaby realizing he was going to die, to no longer be able to spread fear and death through the land. The fact he no longer had any hands didn't seem to bother him all that much anymore, too focused on the being that would end his life, for once and for all, this being nothing as it had planned in the years it spent dormant.

' _H_ - _her eyes_! ... _Her eyes_!' Lullaby thought, reduced to cowering in fear, which was the most astonishing thing Lullaby had ever experienced. Here he was, a feared Demon of Zeref, reduced into a cowering little dog by a wretched human no less.

Natsumi's eyes were no longer their warm, inviting brown, but a cold, ruthless glittering gold with slitted pupils. Within them lurked a raging inferno capable of incinerating everything in its path without mercy. The eyes of something so horrible Zeref could not fully contain it. Only two beings could have the power to make Lullaby feel such fear, one being Zeref himself, his creator, and the other...

The runes inscribed along Natsumi's blade flared to life, a pulsating wave of power vibrating through the air, the middle of the blade cracking open like a demon eye opening for the first time in centuries, fiery orange in color and a black-slitted pupil. Natsumi's grip tightened on the blade, speaking in a satanic voice that would forever be ingrained in their memories forever.

" **Oblivion**."

The ensuing shriek of pure agony from Lullaby was truly deafening. The ensuing slash cleaving the demon in half, right down the middle causing blood to spray up into the air while rocking the surrounding terrain with a tremor. No one even had time to blink as Lullaby's two halves fell down with a loud thunk! They then dissipated, burning away to ash that was scattered in the wind. The spectators could only look on, horrified and dumbfounded, at what Natsumi had just accomplished. With a single blow, the girl had just decimated one of Zeref's most feared demons.

None of that mattered to Natsumi at the moment. Standing up, and sheathing the blade, the dragon slayer's sole focus became finding Gray, spurred on by the voice in her head. Just as she took the first step though, the immense surge of power she felt washed right out of her, leaving behind an exhausted body. Natsumi fell, already slipping into the realm of unconsciousness, her eyes reverting back to their normal onyx as they slipped shut. The last thing she saw was a flash of navy blue and pale looking skin diving forward to catch her as she fell, and a crowd of people swarming around them, curious to see if their savior, the woman who had vanquished a demon of Zeref single-handedly was okay.

~x~

"The issue of Eisenwald may have been dealt with, but the root of the problem still remains unresolved," Org said to the rest of the members, starting a new discussion, curious as to how the others wish to handle it. He was a tall, elderly man with a considerably long beard and mustache. He had pointed ears and there seemed to be a bat on his head, sitting in the second-ranked seat of the council, meaning that he not only had more experience but pull behind his word as well.

"There are as many dark guilds as there are stars in the sky." Another member commented, making other members nod in agreement, this statistic almost becoming a fact to accept, as anything other than exterminating all Dark Guilds would tip the scales back into their favor, and even then that was not even an option on the table, yet.

"Then we should devise a plan that will wipe them all out at once." Another member named Hugo said. He wore a dark navy blue cloak with patterns of stars and the moon along the edges in silver thread, his hood covering half of his face. Only one silver-colored eye was visible.

"And how do you propose we go about doing that?" a tall middle-aged man called Leiji asked, his hood up, eyes concealed by small, round black glasses. The other members concurred, curious if they finally had an answer to this age-old question.

"Regardless, I will not stand for Zeref's magic falling into their hands again!" The member, Org declared as he looked around, glad to see that they agreed with him.

"How was it that they were able to attain such magic in the first place?" A fourth member of the council asked, this one named Yajima; a small, short old man with thick light-brown eyebrows and a toothbrush-like mustache. He wore a black three-pointed hat upon his head, that looked like a silhouette of a demon's or a monster's claw.

"Blame runs all the way up to the administrative level." A fifth member, Michello, responded grimly. A small middle-aged man with distinct cat-like features. "Rather, we should be grateful that such an artifact was destroyed."

"To Fairy Tail, the guild you have all dubbed as a thorn in our sides, for saving us." They all turned towards a young man with light blue hair and what appeared to be a red tribal tattoo going above and underneath his left eye. "They managed to wipe out a dark guild with only four or five people. Impressive." The woman beside him, Ultear, added. She had a rather voluptuous looking figure with long luscious dark violet locks cascading down her back, wearing a long revealing dress sporting a striped pattern. The rest of the council made a noise of annoyance, unwilling to admit that their greatest annoyance may also be their strongest weapon for good.

"I realize it is difficult for you all to accept, but it is true," Siegrain said. "In fact, this may just call for a reward of some kind even..." He humorously suggested, already knowing what type of response he would receive for such an obnoxious idea.

"Like hell we would!" Org snapped vehemently, his composure slipping because of the anger he felt, at the mere suggestion of any type of reward being given to Fairy Tail. "It's true we would have been in dire straits should anything have befallen those guild masters, however, we must not overlook the damage that was done unto Clover Town!" He added earning a laugh from the younger council member making him steam in anger, having had enough with this, this child's stupidity.

"This is no laughing matter Siegrain. Do you have any idea how much it will cost to rebuild that one town?" Org asked rhetorically, annoyed that these new,  _younger_  members cared less about money and order.

"If you are so troubled by it, then why not send someone to confront the girl responsible for all the wreckage and damage?" Siegrain suggested making his fellow council members look at him in shock, even if they did their best to hide it behind their hoods and cloaks.

"Girl? Didn't you just say it was a group?" The councilwoman, Belno, queried, making everyone turn to both Ultear and Siegrain, both curious and afraid as to who holds such power.

"It was a group that destroyed the guild at Oshibana station, however, a large part of the destruction, as well as Erigors defeat, and the complete destruction of Lullaby were all done by one girl," Ultear explained. The rest of the council looked shocked at this, not wanting to believe that Fairy Tail had yet another powerhouse in their leagues, still griping over the destruction Gildarts has wrought, unintentional or not broken stuff equals money.

"Who?" Michello asked. "Who would possess such power?" He asked, almost afraid to know the answer, especially knowing how adept even the weaker members are at spreading destruction.

A projection lacrima was brought up in the center of the gathered council members, projecting an image of the wizards during the fight against Lullaby, eventually showing a certain pink-haired dragon slayer administering the finishing blow with her mysterious weapon. The surrounding councilmen and women watched with varying looks of awe.

"Natsumi Dragneel, also known by her title of 'Salamander', is Fairy Tail's Dragon Slayer. According to the eyewitness accounts we received, she was the one who completely decimated Lullaby." Siegrain explained after the image faded, the lacrima sinking back down. "I propose we send a representative immediately to investigate, and I nominate myself or Ultear to go."

"Why one of you? Surely someone else would have more time to do so," Yajima asked. He couldn't help being suspicious, as no other council members, or officials were mentioned. ' _What exactly is Siegrain up to_ ,' Yajima pondered as he stared at the two newest members, even more suspicious as to their intentions, especially regarding Maki's guild.

"Natsumi Dragneel is clearly far more powerful than we have given her credit for," Ultear commented, addressing the remainder of the council with a mask of indifference. "From the time since I first joined the council, all I have been hearing is talk of how annoying and troublesome Fairy Tail is. Siegrain and I are curious, more than anything." She added, quelling their paranoia while Yajima simply filed this memory away, always on guard for corruption within the council. The other council members looked at one another, low murmurs being heard, before finally reaching a decision.

"Very well! We will send you, Siegrain, to investigate this at once. Where are they now?" Org asked curiously, hoping that they wouldn't have to cause some public commotion for something as simple as this.

"The rune knights are holding them at where the Guild Masters meeting was held, they have permitted no one to leave. Apparently right after Lullaby's annihilation, Natsumi Dragneel fell unconscious." Ultear said making almost the entire council sigh in relief, glad that they wouldn't have to send a whole legion of rune nights after the guild.

"I will head out immediately," Siegrain announced, as he stayed where he was, having enough decency to wait to be dismissed, rather than walk out in the middle of the meeting.

"Alright. Remember, we expect a full report on your findings, especially about this Natsumi Dragneel character. Any person capable of killing a demon of Zeref with such ease should have a close eye kept on them, especially a Fairy Tail Mage. Exercise caution around her too." Org said. He looked a tad more disturbed than the rest, worried as to how much destruction and pain she could wreak, unintentionally or otherwise.

"Of course," Siegrain said. The magic circle beneath his feet shimmered, fading out of existence allowing him to descend back onto the lower level, Ultear following right behind him. A noticeable smirk came onto his face once the two of them were alone.

"So what do you make of this development?" Ultear asked. Siegrain shrugged, unsure as to how he should interpret this incident, especially since he is so uninformed.

"It is as Org said, someone who can kill a demon of Zeref so easily, even if it was a weaker one is someone to be cautious of. That being said, she certainly is an interesting one, that Natsumi Dragneel." Siegrain said. He folded his arms. "Up until now her mannerisms and magical levels seem different," He noted as Ultear nodded in agreement.

"Indeed," Ultear commented with a nod. "While she may not have been anything to completely dismiss, she was nowhere near the level that we saw just now. That sword that suddenly appeared also piqued my interest." She said, recalling the blade Natsumi summoned, having had not recognized the dialect of the runes upon it.

"You noticed it too?" Siegrain asked as he looked at Ultear, curious as to whether he missed anything important.

Ultear nodded.

"When she ran to protect that ice mage it appeared," Siegrain stated, holding his chin in thought. "I wonder if there is any connection between the two?" He pondered aloud making Ultear consider it for a second, before filing the information away, having no way to prove or deny his hypothesis.

"You mean Gray Fullbuster?" Ultear asked. Her only response was a nod, watching Siegrain leave the room to head out to where Natsumi and the others were. She watched until he left, a sinister grin of her own forming shortly after.  _'Even Master Hades would be interested in Natsumi Dragneels sudden development, I should report to him as soon as I am able to without drawing any more suspicion. Whether it's the sword or even Gray himself. For the sake of creating the Great world of Magic, I will find out_!' Ultear thought determinedly, unwilling to let such a minor person impact her lifelong dream.

~x~

" **Get Up**."

When the Dragon Slayer didn't immediately move, she felt several sharp nudges to her side. Like the feet giving them wasn't a human, finally causing her to stir awake, blinking with weary eyes. She slowly sat up, scratching her head and shaking it, a wave of dizziness washing over her.

"Ugh," She groaned. "Where the heck am I?" She asked as she looked around with blurry eyes as she pushed herself up to a sitting position, not recognizing her surroundings at all. The first thing she did was check to make sure her precious scarf was still intact and around her neck. Upon doing so, the pinkette looked up and noticed her surroundings were rather...empty? Everywhere she looked there was nothing. Complete whiteness. An endless void. She was confused by this weird atmosphere.

"W-what the hell is this?" She asked aloud, head whipping in either direction. "Happy! Lucy!" She yelled, distraught at the thought of being alone. ' _D_ - _don't tell me_... _did Lullaby_ -!?' Natsumi concluded, afraid that she had failed, not only allowing Gray to die but her and everyone else around them as well, this being her punishment for failing them.

" **At last you hear my voice**." Someone said from directly behind Natsumi, making her jump in shock, unused to being snuck up on.

She whirled around, half expecting to find someone from her team. The thing she saw didn't really look like a person. It looked inhuman. It somehow looked like her even, but also didn't. For starters, there was what looked to be horns protruding from their head, and they had claws for hands. Their whole body was enveloped by flames, but they neither looked to be in pain or even writhing from them. It was almost as if the flames were part of their very being. Their eyes were a startling gold, attracting her attention the most.

Natsu's eyes narrowed, backing away and trying to light her fists on fire. Only for nothing to happen.

"What-why can't I use my magic?" She cried out, frustrated.

"Did...did you do this? Where the heck am I?" She asked, an unfamiliar feeling building up in her chest,  _fear_  due to her being almost completely defenseless from the being in front of her, especially she wasn't able to use her magic, meaning she may not have her invulnerability to fire as well.

The being didn't look at all fazed by Natsumi's anger. " **In response to your second question** ,  **this area is a space you created shortly after coming into possession of the blade, The Tamasi Shukaku**." As if on cue, a familiar looking black scabbard, with inter-linking chains covering it flashed in mid-air slowly falling into Natsumi's upheld hands. " **Do you not remember**?" it asked rhetorically.

Natsumi blinked, flashes of the fight with Lullaby pouring into her mind. Erza and Gray fighting. Her and Erza getting knocked back. Then finally Gray about to be crushed to death, her fingers clenching around the sheathed sword. It suddenly felt heavier. She swallowed with difficulty.

"Who...are you?" She asked, hesitant. Part of her wasn't really sure she wanted to know.

" **I am you**.  **The**  ' **you** '  **that you were once meant to be**.  **Created and wrought into being by** -"

"No way! You're not me!" Natsumi protested angrily, annoyed that the creature in front of her would speak such lies.

**"Let me finish dumbass!"**  The being roared, the flames covering their body fanning out like a pair of wings meant to cover the sky. Natsumi folded her arms together, arching a brow, giving a ' _tch_!', but saying nothing more. " **I'm the you that was sealed up** ,  **meant to be locked away until you were ready**." It told her, all this vagueness confusing her beyond belief.

"Ready for what?" Natsumi asked, not really liking the vague answers she was getting.

"Are you sure you're not Lullaby or something? Yeah, I'll bet that's it, you're just trying to confuse me!" Natsumi yelled. "And where are my friends, huh? Where are Happy, Lucy, Erza, and Gray?" She asked worriedly, not liking her odds if she had to fight such a creature, alone.

" **They're safe**.  **All of them** ,  **thanks to you waking me when you did** ," The being said, " **As I said before I am you**.  **The you that was acknowledged as the greatest of all Zeref's creations** ,  **E.N.D**."

Natsu froze. Her eyes became wide, the other being's words hitting her like a blow to the stomach. "Did you say...Zeref? Y-you mean I'm-"

Natsumi's world felt like it had suddenly come to a grinding halt. Realization washing over like a wave of ice cold water, but also leaving her more confused than anything had before.

" **Yes**.  **You and I** ,  **we are the same person** ,  **and while we are similar in some aspects to Lullaby**.  **We are also something more**.  **We are superior**." The being raised one of its claw-like hands, flames fanning along the edges, but never touching the fingertips forming to spell-out a single word:  _END_.

" **Your true name is Etherious Natsumi Dragneel** ,  **or rather E.N.D.** " Natsumi stared at the letters, her mind still trying to come to grips with such a life-changing revelation. " **You are the strongest and most feared of all Zeref's creations**."

Natsumi felt horrified. She couldn't be a demon, much less one of Zeref's personal demons. The notion was too far-fetched, even for her imaginative mind. She had to be human, yeah, this thing clearly had no idea what it was talking about. She couldn't be anything but human. Otherwise, she would remember. Surely she would remember..., right?

As though reading her thoughts, the being cloaked in fire spoke up again. " **As I mentioned before** ,  **the part of you that knew and acknowledged itself as a demon was sealed away**.  **That is why there is no recollection of it**. **It was shortly after the time where Igneel** ,  **king of the fire dragons failed in killing you**.  **Your powers** ,  **memories** ,  **even magic reserves you had built up were all sealed away leaving you as just a regular human**.  **All of this occurred over what is now the span of over 400 years ago**."

Natsumi didn't say anything, shock evident on her face, still unsure as to whether she should believe this creature before her.

" **I am but a small representation of all that** , **including your feelings for the Ice-Make Wizard** ,  **without whom I would never have been awoken in the first place**." The being explained off-handedly. " **Of course when I say small I do mean**  ' _ **small**_ '.  **I am less than even a fraction**."

Natsumi could have focused on what had summoned this voice in her head. But, she was more focused on the bit about the ice mage. The horror and shock melting away into embarrassment and denial, waving her hands frantically in front of her, as if that would remove the sheer suggestion from the demons head, a bright tomato red blush covering her entire face and her ears turning them darker than her pink hair.

"W-what!? N-no way! I don't-I can't have feelings for Gr-that stripper!" Natsumi yelled, seeing the demonic being looked unconvinced. "I-it's true! Besides, w-what would something like that have to do with you anyway, it's personal!" She huffed, crossing her arms and jerking her head to the side like a child.

" **The reason it has to do with me is simply**   **because the feelings you possess towards Gray are similar to the feelings you had over 400 years ago for another man** ,  **Asher**." The being said, catching Natsumi by surprise. " **Didn't you feel it when you first laid eyes on him back when you first joined the guild**?  **The sensation of longing** ,  **like he was someone you should miss and wanted to be around**?" Natsumi swallowed feeling an uncomfortable lump form in her throat, the truth and reality behind his suggestion striking home more than she would have preferred.

" **Isn't that why you always picked fights with him**?  **Why you constantly tried to make yourself stand out to him**?" The creature continued on, driving its argument through flawlessly, slowly forcing her to face the light.

" **It was because of those feelings the seal broke**   **because you wanted to save him**.  **Do not lie to yourself any longer**." The being said making Natsumi look down, never having realized that maybe all of those things happened for a reason, not just because she ate a bad lunch, or because they were rivals and that's what rivals do.

Slowly Natsumi's hand ebbed its way towards her chest, clutching where her heart was, feeling it hammer in her ribcage. Thoughts of Gray, when Lullaby broke through his shield, filling her mind. She was afraid of admitting it aloud back then, but when she first walked into the guild and saw him, there was an undeniable spark that she felt, like someone close who had passed away and was miraculously revived. Only he didn't know her like that, and back then she assumed she hadn't somehow known him. So they wound up fighting, arguing, and ultimately being dubbed as rivals of all things.

Was it really possible for her to suddenly acknowledge these feelings? Doubting they were even true, to begin with, though the name Asher, somehow it just made her heartache.

" **And now** ,  **you have a choice to make**." The being said. Tearing Natsumi from her silent train of thought.

"A...choice?" She asked and they nodded, glad that she was finally listening, no longer stuck behind the large red curtain called denial, being able to face the music for the first time.

" **You can accept your origins**.  **By doing so you would become what you once were** ,  **everything would be returned to you** ,  **or**..."At this they leaned in close, their demonic golden eyes bore into hers. " **I take control of your body and ensure what happened over 400 years ago to Asher does not happen to Gray**." The being said making Natsumi bristle in anger annoyed that the creature would even dare to suggest such a thing.

Natsumi's eyes widened, before falling into a heated glare. "What? Like hell I'm letting you take over my body! There's no way I'll let you anywhere near Gray or my other friends!" She protested making the demon scoff as it waved its hand dismissively.

" **Believe me** ,  **those others are worth less than garbage to me**.  **My only concern is the one who looks like Asher**.  **As for the others**?  **I'd kill them myself if they got in my way**.  **Humans are disgusting by nature** ,  **selfish** ,  **greedy** ,  **and cowards**. **They are all the same** ,  **only Asher proved he could be different**." Natsumi frowned at the creatures brutal honesty, Her brow creasing a bit as she considered its words.

"How did Asher die then? Was he attacked?" Natsumi asked, curious more than anything, as to how her past love died, if this was even real at all.

" **Human greed**.  **It was their insatiable lust for power and ignorance that led to Asher's death**." The being said softly, " **Which is why I will not allow it to happen again**.  **And I will kill anyone who gets in my way**!" The more the being spoke, the hotter and brighter its body got. The flames coming alive, spreading throughout the infinite white space, reaching higher and higher. It was like a miniature sun about to blow.

Startled by the other's outburst, Natsumi took a moment to let everything sink in. At first, she wanted nothing more than to deny her being a demon or any relation to Zeref whatsoever. Still, everything the being said, even the stuff about her and Gray, it all made sense to her in some way. Somewhere in the back of her mind it also dawned on her that without this being, without this power, Gray would have been killed by Lullaby. Just the thought of her longtime friend's death, it... well... it brought an unpleasant feeling to her chest. This also could prove to be her only chance to actually learn about where she came from, before Igneel, like who her parents were, where she was born, hell, maybe even why her hair color was so unique!

After what felt like forever, Natsu finally spoke. "Alright. What is it you need me to do?" She asked, making the demon smirk as it inclined its head, more than satisfied with its current progress.

" **For now**?  **Nothing**.  **Do not tell anyone about what you have learned here**.  **In the meantime I will begin sorting through your memories** ,  **once that is done your powers should start returning to you relatively soon**." Natsumi nodded as she tried to absorb all this information. " **For now you should return**." the Demon said making Natsumi scratch her neck in confusion.

"Return?" Natsumi repeated, confused since she still wasn't completely sure as to where she was, let alone how to return to her friends.

" **Remember what I said**?  **This is a space you created** ,  **here magic is null** ,  **its primary function was a prison of sorts**." Natsumi took another look around, a bit more in awe. Her hands still clenched tightly around the sword from before. " **Ah** ,  **one more thing** :  **The Sword**.  **Do not let anyone ever take it**." The demon said making Natsumi stare at it confusedly, making it shake its head in annoyance.

" **You'll find out what I mean and about Asher too**.  **For now, return to Gray**." The being, or her? said making a small blush of pink grow onto her cheeks, the white void surrounding Natsumi faded. A faint voice reaching her ears, making her strain to remember who's voice that was.

~x~

"...Na...! Na...tsu...!"A familiar voice kept saying.

Natsumi grunted, feeling cold fingers brush against her shoulder, it was oddly soothing, making her groan. Her fingers and nose twitched, picking up the familiar scent of minty forest pine and the smallest hint of cinnamon. Reluctantly, her eyes cracked open, squinting shut at the blinding white light that greeted her. She risked opening them a second time and was a tad surprised when she saw several pairs of eyes staring back at her with equal amounts of concern in them, one particular pair of dark blue standing out to her making her eyes shoot open, having had known those eyes from anywhere.

"Natsumi!" Happy cried in delight. The small little blue cat perched beside his surrogate mom on the bed she laid in. Her senses were overall still a little blurry, clearing up almost immediately when her eyes met familiar navy blue. Her heart skipped a beat at seeing him standing beside her bed, hands in his pocket and a casual smile of relief on his face. Lucy and Erza were there too, along with Master Makarov, all crowding around her bed, a varied range of smiles upon their faces, glad that she was finally awake.

But all Natsumi could bring herself to care about in that moment was Gray.

"Natsumi, thank goodness!" Lucy piped up, relief and joy pouring into her voice as she looked at the woman who was single-handedly responsible for annihilating the strongest creature she had ever seen, a demon that may have even been stronger than Makarov, who was able to keep his seat within the ten wizard saints even at his old age.

"It is good to see you awake," Erza added, smiling down at her fellow female mage.

"You had us worried there flamebra-" Grays words were cut off when Natsumi unexpectedly pulled him in for a hug, the rest of the room blinking in surprise. The raven haired ice mage could only blink, sputtering a bit at the unexpected contact. "N-Natsumi...?" He finally whispered, pretty sure he felt her shudder a bit making him even more confused, which was honestly quite the feat.

"I'm so glad you're safe." She whispered, feeling truly grateful for the ice mage's presence at the moment. Beside them, Erza and the rest of the others all shared a soft look of realization. The pinkette's words sounding so genuine and full of relief Gray couldn't help the small tint of pink that dusted his cheeks. He tried to play it off, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Y-yeah, well, it was thanks to you really..." Gray mumbled quietly finally freeing himself from the tight embrace." After you defeated Lullaby, you just...collapsed. You were out for almost a whole 24 hours. A bunch of Rune knights showed up after you passed out, asking what hap-"

"They didn't hurt you?" Natsumi cut in, eyes narrowed as she quickly scanned him over, looking for any new signs of damage or injury."What? No, of course not!" Gray said quickly, still a bit confused by everything going on, especially Natsumi's newly found power, almost making him feel inadequate, to be so outclassed by his rival.

"Natsumi," Makarov said making her take her eyes off of Gray as she turned to her master, taking note of the serious expression on his face.

"A few things I'd like to ask you. First order of business, however, I'm glad you're alright." Makarov said sincerely, the stern expression dissolving for a quick moment or two. "Do you mind telling me what the deal with that sword is?" Natsumi followed his gaze seeing the same blade as before, the Tamasi Shukaku clenched tightly in her hand.

"What do you mean, it's a sword…?" Natsumi said. "Erza's got tons of them, right?" At this, both Makarov and Erza frowned a bit, never having known Natsumi to purposely lie, ever.

"Yes Natsumi, you're right. Still, I do not own any sword quite like that, nor have I ever seen one crafted like it." The scarlet-haired girl commented, holding her chin in thought. Beside her, Lucy looked between them all, confused, simply glad that everyone had made it out of the fight alive, even if Natsumi's sword creeped her out a bit.

"Natsumi, is that sword...the reason you were able to defeat Lullaby?" Lucy finally asked, finally noticing all the puzzle pieces that have been laid out before her, making her ask the question that was on everyone's mind.

Natsumi looked like she was quickly becoming annoyed with all the questions aimed at her. She had just woken up, after all. Just when she felt she was going to snap at them, familiar cool fingers brushed against her shoulder without him meaning to. Her eyes immediately shot to Gray, who seemed to catch this and blushed, shoving his hand back into his pocket averting his eyes to a corner of the room.

Makarov noticed this silent exchange, his eyes softening just a bit. He looked between Natsumi and Gray. The moment was ruined though when Natsumi's stomach growled loudly.

The rest of the team gained a visible sweat drop at the back of their heads, some heaving a sigh of exasperation. Only Gray seemed to chuckle a bit, his features softening back into the small smile from before. Natsumi thought it was adorable.

"Sorry, guess I'm hungry guys!" Natsumi said loudly, slinging the sword onto her back and moving to get off the bed when she felt cool skin press against her, keeping her down making her look up, feeling downhearted to see Gray scowling at her.

"Idiot, you still need to rest." The ice mage scolded lightly making Natsumi blush slightly in appreciation before she bristled in annoyance, realizing that her rival was telling her that she needed rest when she felt perfectly fine!

"I feel fine," Natsumi said as she tried to get up once more, only to be annoyed as Gray used both hands this time to push her down, making Erza sigh before she walked over.

"Gray's right, Natsumi, though you defeated Lullaby there's no telling the kind of strain that was placed on your body when you used whatever magic it was you did," Erza interjected as she looked between the two, feeling that she would be able to physically cut the tension before her with a sword.

"I said I'm fine. Besides, I had to do something, otherwise, it was gonna kill Gray!" Natsumi declared, unknowingly causing the ice mage to blush once again before hiding his face in shame, annoyed that he relied on his rival of all people to save his life.

Makarov couldn't resist the slight urge to tease the two, seeing how easily flustered the ice mage was becoming.

"Oho~! So long as Gray is fine, nothing else matters, eh Natsumi?" Makarov joked, making both of his brats in question blush as Lucy's face brightened, picking up on what her master was insinuating.

"G-Gramps!" Gray yelled, blushing a bright red as he looked at the small old man in question, furious that he would even suggest such a preposterous idea.

Before Natsumi could fire back with a retort of some kind, there was a knock at the door. A second later it opened revealing a rune knight. "Members of Fairy Tail, I am here to inform you that in light of recent events, a member of Era's own magic Council is on their way to assess both the damage down unto Clover Town for which Fairy Tail is responsible as well as one Natsumi Dragneel's involvement with the destruction of Lullaby. They will be arriving shortly." He announced making Erza gasp while Natsumi simply clenched her sword tighter, more than prepared to fight with all her might if they even dared to touch one of her precious Nakama.

"A member of the council is coming here?" Makarov asked agape, clearly shocked.

The rune knight nodded. "Yes. I will inform you of their arrival." He said before taking his leave, opening the door and leaving them to their lonesome once more, making them look around in shock, not being able to believe that such a thing would happen until they remembered what kind of threat Lullaby truly was.

Natsumi looked indifferent. Makarov and Lucy looked a bit frightened, the former starting to look almost nauseous as the realization that he would have to pay for all the damages hit him. Erza appeared calm on the surface but was having a bit of an internal battle, having a nagging feeling as to just who would be coming.

"It's just like those bastards to come all the way out themselves," Gray commented, making Natsumi smile a bit, glad that he was at least able to make light of the situation.

"Aye." Happy piped up, feeling it necessary to stay in the conversation, lets he be forgotten.

"Oh...I hope they're not coming to dish out some kind of major punishment to us...!" Lucy said feeling terrified all of a sudden. In her mind, she was already thinking of all the damage the other three had done since arriving in Clover Town. "Aaaahh! What do we do?" She panicked, worried that they would get a jail sentence or fine.

"I don't think they're coming for that kind of reason," Erza said. "Natsumi destroyed Lullaby, a demon of Zeref, and we successfully subdued Eisenwald. All in all, the good more than outweighs the bad. They are probably coming to confirm whether or not Lullaby is actually destroyed, otherwise, I'd imagine they will be putting it somewhere so dark guilds won't be able to get it." She explained making Lucy calm down, slightly.

"Y-you think so?" Lucy asked feeling relieved that her first big mission, would not be her last.

Erza nodded. "It would cause a panic should such magic be allowed to fall into the wrong hands again. We were all lucky this time." She finished as everyone nodded in agreement, not even wanting to think as to what would happen, had Natsumi not somehow found the power to defeat the demon.

"Still, how the heck did flamebrain manage to beat it?" Gray asked making everyone look back at Natsumi once more, still having no good explanation as to how she pulled off such a feat.

Natsumi shrugged, feeling all eyes turn on her. Erza and Master's lingering on the sword that she kept clutched in her hand. Natsumi then took this opportunity to approach Gray.

"Gray." The ice mage blinked, shifting a little uncomfortably under the others intense stare. It was suddenly replaced by Natsumi's signature grin. "Are you hungry at all?" She asked with her usual infectious grin making the others sigh in exasperation while Gray looked like a deer caught in the head lights.

"Uh...wha...?"Gray stammered. He looked a bit thrown off, a tint of pink rising to his cheeks once again as he tried to avoid looking her straight in the eyes. The rest of the team blinked. Why was Natsumi suddenly so focused on Gray?

"She liiiiikes him~!"Happy piped up, holding a paw to his mouth as he watched his surrogate mother continue to look at Gray, ignoring everyone else around her.

"Stop rolling your tongue like that!" Lucy yelled annoyed at the cat's inability to read the situation.

The words of her demon half were still fresh in Natsumi's mind. ' _It was because of those feelings that the seal broke_.  _Because you wanted to save him_.  _Do not lie to yourself any longer_.' She still wondered about the blade as well and how it was forged. When she wielded it against Lullaby, it felt like it was somehow made for her. The way the demonic being spoke also made it sound like there was some connection between it and her feelings for this Asher person. Then there was Gray.

"Er, I just thought, ya know...since we're a 'team' and all..." Natsumi added at the hesitant look on his face, making everyone nod in agreement, liking the idea of more bonding.

"Now that you mention it," Lucy interrupted looking thoughtful, her own stomach giving a rumble. "We haven't eaten since we all left the guild, have we?" Erza and Makarov's stomachs resounded through the small room as well making everyone smile, glad that they had finally overcome such a dark situation and were now able to enjoy pleasantries such as friendship.

"Well!" Makarov said. The others turned to look at him. "I suppose we can hold off on this conversation for now. I believe there are still some hors-d'oeuvre and such in the hall." He said as he looked at each and every one of his brats once more, glad that they had all been able to survive such a dangerous battle, that he was so sure he would lose another brat too.

Natsumi grinned heading for the door. "Really? What're we waiting for then?" She said with a toothy grin as she proceeded to kick open the door as though it were their own guild doors. However, instead of the door bursting open with a bang, the feeble wooden door had shattered completely, the surrounding wall around it cracking from the pressure of Natsumi's kick.

There was a moment of heavy silence. The rest of Team Natsu, Makarov and the surrounding rune knights outside all stood with gaping jaws as they looked at the pinkette. The rest of the Guild masters were all still there as well. Natsumi herself was blinking in surprise, not having had thought she put that much strength behind the kick.

After another long moment of silence, Natsumi smiled bashfully while lowering her leg. "Ah, sorry! Guess I got a little carried away!" She said making the guild masters, Erza, Gray, the rune knights shake their heads in exasperation while Makarov and Lucy were a little slack-jawed, confused and a little jealous as to how she could ignore such a blunder with little to no care at all.

"A-a little!?" Lucy yelled. as she looked at the girl, realizing she would probably never understand them.

"In any case, let's go find some grub!" Natsumi cheered. Without thinking her hand went to reach for Gray's pulling him along and towards the meeting hall making him blush a storm while Makarov looked on with a smile on his face.

"W-wait Natsumi!" He scolded lightly, embarrassed to be dragged along by his rival.

Meanwhile, the demonic entity Natsumi encountered was watching everything from the girl's mindscape now, looking between said pinkette and Gray, their eyes lingering a few seconds longer on the ice mage. It watched while Gray continued to scold her lightly, having succeeded and pulling his hand free of hers, teasing her while she shoveled in food like a madwoman. " **He looks so much like Asher**." The being commented softly shifting its gaze back onto Natsu. " **Natsumi** ,  **this time for certain**.  **You must protect him**.  **It will be a harsh road from here on** ,  **the sins of the past cannot be easily forgotten by some**.  **Especially those that hurt the ones we love**." They said grimly.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
